Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च शीर्णपर्णाशिभिस्तथा । दन्तोलूखलिभिर्विप्रैः सेवितं चाश्मकुट्टकैः

Transliteration

abbhakṣairvāyubhakṣaiśca śīrṇaparṇāśibhistathā | dantolūkhalibhirvipraiḥ sevitaṃ cāśmakuṭṭakaiḥ

Translation

وكانت تلك الغابةُ المقدّسةُ يؤمّها براهمةٌ ذوو نذورٍ شديدة: فمنهم من يقتات بالماء وحده، ومنهم من يقتات بالهواء وحده، ومنهم من لا يأكل إلا الأوراقَ اليابسة الساقطة؛ ومنهم من يطحن بأسنانه كأنها مِهراس، ومنهم من يعيش على حبوبٍ مدقوقة على الحجر—وهكذا خُدِمَ المكانُ بأهل الزهد والتقشّف.

Word by Word

• अब्भक्षैः: by water-eaters (water-only ascetics)
• अब्भक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्/अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masc instrumental plural); तत्पुरुषः ‘अद्भिः भक्षः/भक्ष्यं येषां ते’ (usage as group-name)

• वायुभक्षैः: by air-eaters (living on air)
• वायुभक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘वायुः भक्षः येषां ते’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• शीर्णपर्णाशिभिः: by those who eat fallen leaves
• शीर्णपर्णाशिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीर्ण (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘शीर्णानि पर्णानि आश्नन्ति ये’ (those who eat fallen leaves)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb: likewise)

• दन्तोलूखलिभिः: by tooth-mortar (austere) ascetics
• दन्तोलूखलिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + उलूखलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘दन्तैः उलूखलवत् (कठोरतपसा) ये’ (epithet of ascetics)

• विप्रैः: by brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (masc instrumental plural)

• सेवितम्: frequented/served
• सेवितम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अश्मकुट्टकैः: by stone-pounder ascetics
• अश्मकुट्टकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुट्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अश्मानं कुट्टयन्ति ये’ (stone-pounders; a class of ascetics)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) — deductive attribution from Purāṇic narrative style in Māhātmya passages

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of ascetics in a forest: one sipping only water, another in breath-control austerity, others gathering fallen leaves; a few grind grains on stone; faces lean, eyes bright, bodies disciplined.

Characters & Entities

• Vipra (brahmin ascetics)
• Tapasvins (austere sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha’s greatness is shown by the caliber of tapas practiced there—purity, restraint, and renunciation sanctify the land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A sacred forest-āśrama within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (the precise named tīrtha appears later in the narrative).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act but ascetic disciplines: living on water, air, fallen leaves, and minimal food prepared by stone-pounding.